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February 10, 2016

Swift Cider Dank Hop

By: Erin James

Unless you are a member of your local audubon chapter or are a native of the Pacific Northwest, you might not be familiar with the swift. This highly agile, aerial bird calls Portland, Oregon home during the temperate fall months, on its migration down to warmer climates, and serves as the silhouette and inspiration behind Portland cidery Swift Cider. Correlating the bird’s temporary residence in the city with the annual apple harvest in the orchards, Swift draws a connection with the urban-meets-farm mentality.

Made from locally-grown, fresh-pressed apples, the juice is brought to its cider formation with wild and cultured yeasts, naturally clarified by aging at cool temperatures. The Dank Hop takes that dry base and brings in organic pineapple juice with the three C’s of Northwest hops: Columbus, Centennial and Chinook. The nose pulls from these citrus aromatics as well as the sappy resin notes that complement the juicy golden apple and tropical pineapple. The sticky, resiny hops led both a texture and bitterness to the palate with the ripe succulence of the pineapple finishing off-dry.